1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording on a rotating magnetic recording medium. More particularly, the invention relates to a magnetic recording apparatus such as an electronic still camera of the type in which a subject is imaged by a solid-state image pick-up device such as a CCD and a video signal representing the image is recorded on a magnetic disk, by way of example. The magnetic recording apparatus referred to in this specification is intended to cover a recording/playback apparatus capable of recording and playback, and a magnetic recording apparatus having a playback function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recording on a rotating magnetic recording medium by a magnetic head is performed by positioning the center of the magnetic head on the absolute track position of a track on which the recording is about to be made. This is referred to as a so-called "absolute track address method". Transferring the magnetic head to the absolute track position is performed upon adopting a predetermined position (a reference position) as a reference. This reference position is not a position provided on the magnetic recording medium as by marking but this reference position is mechanically determined on the side of the magnetic recording apparatus.
The magnetic recording medium expands and contracts due to environmental changes, particularly changes in temperature, humidity and the like. Accordingly, the position on the magnetic recording medium that corresponds to the abovementioned reference position also changes with changes in the environment and, hence, so does the recording position on the magnetic recording medium. In addition, there are occasions where the recording position shifts due to an error in the mechanism of the magnetic recording apparatus. There are also slight differences between magnetic recording apparatuses so far as the mechanisms thereof are concerned. Consequently, situations can arise in which the spacing between the recording position of a track previously recorded on and the recording position of another track on which a recording is to be made now will deviate from the normal spacing between the tracks on one and the same magnetic recording medium. In any case, it is desired that recording be performed at a position which maintains the normal track-to-track spacing relative to a previously recording track to the greatest degree possible.
The deviation in the absolute track position mentioned above can cause recorded signals to be superimposed in a case where recording is performed on a track located between recorded tracks on both sides thereof. Also, when a desired track is to be erased, the aforementioned deviation can cause part of a neighboring track to be erased.